Prelude to Pain (episode 2 Maurice the Chosen)
by Kumarisan
Summary: Sonic's dad meets a female. But something goes wrong, and changes everything...


Mobius, 3184

The following 'epic' is based on characters created by Sega, and also DIC "Sonic the Hedgehog" (SAT AM) Gearbox and "O" are the copyrighted property of Dan Drazen.All rights reserved. 

Any characters not based on the previously mentioned sources are sole property of...hmm that would be me!!

Prelude to Suffering

Mobius, 3184

"Sometimes I wonder how you can even look at yourself in the mirror." the assassin said, stretching.0445 hours, a long sleep. No matter though, it would be at least fifteen minutes before anything took place. "Now let's see... silenced pistol or shriukens today? The figure thought aloud, opening a closet to a large arsenal of weapons. A persistent banging distracted the feline's concentration. "What is it, already?!" the assassin called. "Maria,_¡Ven aquí! The Godfather called a meeting at 0500 today remember?" a voice called from the other side of the door. "Okay Chino, wait for me!" she called back grabbing the pistol. It seemed so much more lady-like. _

"Maria, you are fashionably late, as usual." The Godfather addressed. "Deadly accuracy cannot be rushed, sir." She responded, taking her seat. "And you, Chino! What makes you think you can come in here tardy?" the Godfather challenged, when Chino took his seat. "Forgive me, Maxis, I was waiting on my sister."Chino responded, sheepishly. "So better to keep us waiting, than her?" a large tiger challenged. "No sir." The Godfather raised his hand. "That is enough Smite, you know when it is your place to speak.Pacianno, does your older sister need a reminder of where this hall is?" Chino looked down. "Forgive me, Maxis, I asked him to wait for me." Maria said. "Then you agree that he is not ready for a meeting such as this. Chino you are dismissed." Chino looked sharply at Smite and then the Godfather.He left, chuckling to himself."Smite would look a lot better with two breathing holes." he thought to himself. 

"I don't trust him, sir" Smite said, when Chinowas out of sight. "He has a problem with authority. The last thing we need is a loose cannon." "What do you think, Maria?" the Godfather addressed. "I think that it's a shame that one as strong as Smite would be intimidated by a mere 13 year old." She responded, smiling."I think I speak for all of us, when I say anyone sharing your genes Maria is intimidating to say the least." Smite answered quickly."

"The meeting will come to order! Sir Charles, since your younger brother is new to our way of buisness, I assume you have brought him up to speed. Now, Maurice, do you have any questions that were not answered in the manuals?" King Acorn addressed. Maurice stood. "Yes sir, I went over all twelve manuals, and not one place did it have any policy of social classes in terms of taxation, yet there are incrimidating differences and many extra rules on how to police different statuses of your subjects. Why is that?" Maurice frowned, hating to have to talk like a buisnessman. "With all due respect, sire, I would personally like to comment on that subject matter." Raoul deCoullette spoke aloud. "By all means, accountant, the floor is yours.""Thank you, sire. Sherriff Maurice, you are new to this social class, and it is high time that you realized the advantages it has to offer. Some advantages, such as the one you just addressed are better left unspoken, while others, such as the taxation deal are added effect of a higher bank account. Taxes don't change just because you work harder.It is not right that the government take money from those that make more than others. A regulated tax is ideal for our society which has so many opportunities to advance in social standard. You, yourself are living proof of that, Sir Maurice." Maurice stood, dumbfounded, then let out a chuckle. "What seems to be so humerous, Sir Maurice?" King Acorn ventured. "Forgive me sir, it's just that I've never met someone as shallow and stuck up as your accountant." He answered."Of all the insulting..." "Raoul, let me ask you a question. Since when was book keeping considered a harder job than mining, or construction? Where do you get off saying that anyone can move up in the social classes? When was the last time you saw a custodian wearing a silk bath robe to sleep in his hole in the ground? King Acorn, it's no wonder there is so much crime around the outer zones. And if the public knew about this, it could mean revolution.""Well I believe you just proved being a sheriff is harder than being a janitor, Sir Maurice." Raoul said, indignantly. "Hmm...if this new sheriff stays this way, it might just be that accountant I put on ice." Someone thought, from high above the ceiling.Maria had been sent to determine if the new sherrif would be any threat to the Mafia's cause. Now Maria thought that he was fighting for it. There was something different about this hedgehog's demeanor that fascinated Maria. Fascinating enough for her to follow him home.

"I don't enjoy his presence, Chucky. I wanted so much to deck him today! Aw, what have I become?! A year ago, I would have clocked him without a second thought!" Maurice complained. "So you believe that self control is a weakness then, Maurice?" Charles asked, looking up from his paper. "I tell ya, it's a wonder they even hired your pathetic hide." Maurice walked to the window and stared at the stars."It's funny. I can hardly remember what's upsetting me every time I look at the stars." Charles joined his younger brother, uninterested. "You are such a dreamer kid. That's gonna be your downfall." Charles commented as he retired to his room. "Stars aren't only for dreamers, sheriff." A voice from behind ventured. Maurice reached for his club and spun around, not recognizing the voice. His mind raced, as he saw nothing. "You might check your right leg." The voice suggested. Instantly, Maurice's eyes focused on the infa-red dot on his knee. "Where are you?!" he demanded, trying to shake the dot off, to no avail. "You…move so fast!" he added, visibly as impressed as he was frightened. "When you're paid to save lives, that's what you're good at. The only thing you're good at. When you're paid to take them, it's the same thing." The dot moved to Maurice's chest. "And I always get paid." Maurice thought fast. "Uh, m'aam, if you don't mind me saying so, your voice is way too beautiful to sound intimidating. Whatever your issue is with me, it's probably not serious enough to kill me over. Especially since we haven't even met before." He offered, dropping the club. The light disappeared and Maurice breathed a sigh of relief. "I give my targets a chance to live a few extra hours if they score at least 4 points before I decide to eliminate them. You've earned your 4th point just now." The voice said. "Points?" "Your first point was caring about the real citizens of Mobius, when you told off that soon to be deceased accountant. Your second point was grabbing for your nightstick instead of your gun when you heard me. I value an animal that would choose force over technology. Your third point was acknowledging your helpless state. Every other male I know would have been in denial to the end." Maurice scratched his head. "And my fourth point?" "Your fourth point was your shameless flattery of me. I rather enjoyed it, shallow though it was." Maurice grinned, and extended his arm. "Maurice Hedgehog." He ventured. A gloved paw grabbed his paw and pulled him into darkness. "Maria Caliko." The voice said in a warmer tone. Maurice hesitated. "THE Maria Caliko? The 'Ice Cat' of the Mobian Mafia???" Maurice saw a flash of white as Maria grinned at the mention of her nickname. "I didn't know my reputation was that big." She admitted. "Likewise, I'm sure." Maurice answered. "I'm sorry, Ms. Caliko, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you under arrest for violating virtually every law under the Acornian Kingdom." The cat let go of Maurice's paw. "But I'm not a subject of the Acornian Kingdom. Your rules do not apply to me." She answered smugly. "Then you are trespassing on private property and violating the restraining code 114 of the Acornian law which prohibits any citizens of the Neo Green Hill zone to keep clear of the Acornian Kingdom, unless you have the proper clearance. Visa, please, madam." Maria let out a loud laugh."You're placing me under arrest, Maurice? I'm the one with the weapon." She challenged. Maurice felt his belt for his colt, but quickly felt it pressed against his chest. "I'm well aware of how fast you can knock this out my hand, but you're well aware of how fast I can pull a trigger, and you know that I would win. So get on your knees and put your hands in the air." Maria ordered in her usual dry tone. Maurice did not budge, however. "Madam, maybe I didn't make myself clear the first time. You're under arrest. Do not resist me or live by the foolish notion that you can kill me with an unloaded colt or a .33 with a cork in the silencer.""Touché." Maria replied, dropping the colt, and reaching for her pistol again. Maurice sensed this and grabbed her wrist, flipping the assassin over his shoulder into a restraining hold. After stripping the feline of her weapons, which included a jagged edge dagger, a silenced pistol, and a Z-30 pulse grenade, Maurice led Maria into the light so he could get a glimpse of his attacker. He froze instantly when he saw the cat. "You're the most beautiful killer I've ever seen." Maurice thought aloud. Maria blushed. "My, aren't you bold!" she answered, laughing. Maurice relaxed his grip. "You'll leave Mobotropolis in the morning. In the meantime, I'd like to take you out for dinner, if you don't mind. Ever eat chili dogs before?" 

"Hey Chuck! Don't be skimpy on the sauce next time! This is the lady's first time!" Maurice shouted to the kitchen. Maria smiled to herself, but was careful not to let any emotions escape her psyche. She picked up her second chilidog and watched as Maurice devoured his sixth. "Do you ever breathe between gulps?!" Maurice smiled. "Ith mwa swecet. I bweeth foo ma noze!" He said, mouth full of food. "Maurice!" Charles scolded, coming out of the kitchen. "You're scaring our guest here with your atrocious table manners! Now I don't mind making dinner, but I do mind a barbarian at the dinner table!" Maria broke her silence with a loud laugh. "I don't think I've ever met two sibling interact normally like this!" she observed. "Where I come from…it's not like that." There was a hint of sadness in Maria's voice. "Ah c'mon kiddo! Everyone thinks they're family lives are bad compared to someone else's!" Charles answered, sitting at the head of the table. "So do you have any siblings?" Maria smiled one of her rare smiles. "A little brother. Two older brothers. One of them is dead. The other, he's in jail… if he's still alive." Silence.

"A little bro, huh?" Maurice broke the ice. Maria looked up from her dinner. "Yeah, he's 13. Pacciano. A real killer though." Charles smirked. "Yeah, I'll bet." He thought. "So you know who I am, then?" Maria asked him, noticing his smirk. Charles straightened up. "You're probably not so bad. It's simply what you stand for that I hate. You despise localized government and the kingdom that made your land breathable. You defy order, yet you live by dictatorship. You get what you want through stealth and hatred. You are the Mobian Mafia." Maurice gulped and Maria looked out the window. "I see you memorized that article in the newspaper as well." She said in a lighthearted tone. "No matter. I cannot force you to think how I think, or live how I live. We choose our own paths, and the only way we can be judged is by how we stick to our belief system. I cannot expect you to understand my was, as you can't expect me to understand yours." With that, the feline assassin excused herself from the table and vanished into the night. Maurice stared soberly out the window. "Now there's someone you don't meet every day." Charles commented. "A poetic killer!" 

The night was unlike any other. Maurice's mind raced as mixed emotions clouded his consciousness. Duty to protect. Duty to serve. The vows and regulations of knighthood. A relationship that would cause nothing but pain in the end. Even death? Even death. "But what about my duty to follow my heart?" Maurice thought. He wasn't exactly the happy go lucky hedgehog looking for love. He certainly didn't NEED it. He had a good career, a nice transporter and everything he desired. He never stayed up night wondering what was 'missing' in his life. And yet here he was, at 0345 hours sitting in his bed wondering about the mysterious assassin that stole his heart. "How corny is that?!" he thought. After another hour of tossing and turning, Maurice gave up on trying to catch some z's and decided to take a walk. 

The full moon gave Maurice enough light so he could see where he was going as he ran. He had been born with an indescribable physical endurance that allowed him to sprint for hours and not feel the slightest hint of fatigue. Strangely, it was walking and hiking that zapped his energy. After a few minutes of running with no destination in mind, Maurice found himself at the south central border of the Green Hill zone. It was the entrance to the Neo Green Hill zone, and territory of the Mobian Mafia, land bought by the Godfather of the clan. "Hmm, I usually end up in the Great Forest." He thought. "What am I doing here?" A now familiar voice spoke up before Maurice could leave the scene. "I had a feeling you'd show up sooner or later." Maria emerged from the darkness. Maurice scratched his head. "Hiya!" he replied weakly. "Here's an idea. I don't believe in small talk, so let's get down to why you came here." Maria answered, folding her arms. Maurice sat on a small rock. "It seems we have each other at a stalemate." He began. "You risk punishment for failing to eliminate me. I risk being hung for not arresting you. And yet the only thing I can think of right now is how beautiful your smile is…and how lovely your laugh sounds." At this, Maurice covered his mouth in shock and embarrassment, realizing what he had just said. Maria looked at her admirer, expressionless. "Look, I know how superficial I sound, but I've never felt like this before and I need to know why I think you're the most important thing on Mobius…and I also have to know why you feel the same about me too." He added, gazing into Maria's cold stare. Maria looked away, relaxing her guard slightly. "Infatuation is a dangerous poison." She replied, pulling out her dagger. "I should slit your throat." She whispered, approaching the hedgehog. Instead of flinching, Maurice knelt down, impromptu and looked into Maria's dark eyes once more. " Maria, I think I love you, because this could be anything else. I know every other emotion."Instantly, the knife dropped.

2 months later

"Maria, ven aqui!" The Godfather ordered, as the silent feline strode by his office. There was something about his tone that made Maria's heart skip a beat. Sheepishly, the assassin obeyed. "Close the door and sit in my chair, Ms. Caliko." Maria complied. "I've always thought of you as my daughter, and treated you like a princess, Maria." Maria braced herself, feeling the knots in her stomach tighten." You have, Maxis, always." She replied. "But lately, you've been acting like a teenage daughter, as you should, I suppose…you're only 19..." Maria remained silent knowing exactly what was coming next. "I trusted you before when you told me your reasons why you did not eliminate the sheriff and I still trust you now." The Godfather started to pace. "But the random concealed blood tests came back today…you're pregnant. Maria lowered her eyes, ashamed…not because she was pregnant and unwed, but that she had hid this from the Godfather. "Now I know he is the father, Maria," Maxis continued. "And I know that you fully understand the code of the Mafia which applies even to you. So now is the time for you to make your decision…him or us." There was hint of sadness in the Godfather's voice that tugged at Maria's soul. Ever since she was a child, Maxis had been her role model even more so than her own father. She stood up, thoughtfully and faced the door. "Mobotropolis is no place for a someone like me, Maxis. Even with Clause 332 that guarantees my pardon, if I go I'd never learn to live among the…fragile." "You too are fragile, Maria." The Godfather tried, but Maria raised her hand. "I will remain an assassin. That is what I am and always will be." The feline suddenly declared, leaving the room. The Godfather's heart sunk. "I had rather hoped you would have been stronger than this, Maria." He thought aloud. 

"Now you know that once this is done, I can't change it back, right?" Maria nodded, as she finished numbing her body with a hypodermic needle. "Look we went over this before Zeke, and you agreed. Don't chicken out on me now!" The doctor frowned. "I told you I hate that expression! And call me 'doctor'!" Maria sighed. "Okay 'doctor', but could you hurry up with this before someone finds out? I'm not about to let a war start over my baby, so let's get this done." Maria answered, opening a case of DNA samplings. "If my child is not a hedgehog, there will be no case against me, and he won't be seized by the Acornian government. So if we alter the genetic pattern of the fetus, everything will work out, right?" The doctor shrugged. "Theoretically, yes, but I've told you this is a risky procedure. You're aware of the risks this operation poses to your child and the potential dangers that could come to you, right?" "I'm not worried about that, Zeke...err, doctor." "But I am! If anything happens to you, the Godfather will rip my lungs out!" Maria laughed. "He's gone to counseling since that incident, he's better now. I want this one." She gave the doctor a vial labeled 'panther hybrid'. Doctor Zeke looked at it alarmed. "You had to pick the most complicated strand, didn't you? Okay, once the sedative kick in, I'll begin the procedure."

Begin recording 1539 hours.

The procedure I am about to perform has only been recorded twice in medical history to the best of my knowledge and each attempt was a failure. Due to circumstance beyond my comprehension, my client has elected to remain a member of the Mobian Mafia and raise her soon to be born child without the father, an outsider…a knight of the kingdom of Acorn. To insure that she can keep the child, Maria has elected to conceal the baby's identity by altering the fetus's DNA structure, changing the male dominant hedgehog gene into a recessive hybrid, combined with externally injected panther hybrid DNA, which will make the blood type 90% feline, and mask the hedgehog blood in the child, making it impossible for blood tests to show that the father really is the father. Maria's blood will then become dominant, and the baby will be born as a cat species. Possible crises…probable crises include severe mental retardation of the child or Maria's blood rejecting the panther DNA and/or the child being born as a tri breed with unlimited physical power, but zero self-control. Ideally, what will happen is the child is born a seemingly normal kitten with the best of all three worlds. Injection starting at 1543 hours

The next evening, 2303 hours

"Hello?"

"Maria, it's me!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! I told this line isn't safe! What do you want?"  
"To see you…we have spoken since that night…Are you upset with me?"

"No! I…look, meet me at the border at 0215 hours. It's too dangerous now. Someone might pick up this frequency. I'm out."

A wicked smile came across the face of an eavesdropping radio controller. "How appropriate you would bring him here to die, Maria." Smite thought to himself as he loaded his sniper rifle. 

0218 hours Northwest borderline of Neo Green Hill zone

"You're late." Maurice smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, um… I thought you meant the OTHER northwest border. Heh heh!" Maria yawned. "Look, I called you over here just so I could see you one last time. There are…complications that you can never understand. We come from different worlds as you said, and it would take us losing everything we know and have to make this work." Maurice felt the lump in his throat grow larger. "Let's be honest with ourselves. That will never happen." Maria continued. "So if you really love me, you'll just leave and forget about us. It's better for you. And it's better for me. It was good while it lasted…" Maria stopped in mid sentence. Without another word, she disappeared into the darkness. "Blinded by his own tears and sorrow, Maurice did not notice the red dot that appeared on his chest. Suddenly, a bullet from the concealed sniper rifle pierced Maurice's chest. The only sound made was the blood squirting from the wound to the soft grass. As the depressed Maria made her way back to her home, Maurice's assailant waited until she was out of sight. When the coast was clear, the sniper emerged from the shadows, eyes gleaming. Smite walked up to the fallen hedgehog, knelt down and extracted the bullet from him. As quickly as he entered, the tiger exited the scene, leaving his victim to slowly perish from loss of blood. But another Mafioso had other plans for Maurice. As soon as he could no longer sense Smite's presence, Chino abandoned his hiding place. "Man what a mess!" He thought, examining Maurice's blood washed quills. "I can't even see the wound now." Chino carefully lifted Maurice up and started off to the nearest hospital in the Aquatic Ruin Zone.

"Operating hours 6am-9pm. For 24 hour emergency service, hit "9, 9" and ring." Chino read the sign on the hospital door out loud. It was translated into four different languages, since the Aquatic Ruin Zone was home to over eight different nomadic tribes. Chino looked at his watch. 0235. "Looks like we don't have much of a choice." He said to his dying, would-be brother in law. "Besides, your quills are killing me!" he added setting Maurice down on the stoop. "Lessee…9, 9, bell."

BEEOOP!!!

Lights came on everywhere, and Chino could hear an emergency generator humming to life. "Looks like you're gonna be in good hands now, so I'll be seeing ya." Chino called to Maurice as he hid himself in the jungle. Suddenly, the front door opened to the dome and an attractive young hedgehog peaked out, and discovered Maurice. She took him into the dome and the doors shut. "Bueno suerte, amigo." Chino thought as he trekked back home. 

"Doctor Ghesan, is he going to be okay?" "Hard to say. I give him a 50-50 chance; pending he makes it to the morning. In the meantime Salina, please check his clothing for some kind of identification. Judging by the Acorn brand on his right arm, he's gotta be someone important. I'll finish the IV and prep him for a blood transfusion." Okay, doctor. Gee, I hope he gets better. He looks so...young."

The nurse examined her patient's jacket and found some personal items. A yo-yo, an old headband and a wallet. She opened the wallet that revealed a badge of some kind. Not familiar with the stranger's coat of arms, the nurse could not decipher what the symbols on the badge meant. "So his name is Maurice, huh?" Salina thought, reading his ID card. She could read a little royal text, but the language was seldom used in the Aquatic Ruins. Salina sat at the examination table, exhausted. She wasn't the most alert at 0245 hours, even with a mysterious patient. 

"Wake up, Salina." The nurse yawned and slowly opened her eyes. "Huh? I must have dozed off. What time is it?!" Salina noticed that Dr. Ghesan was now wearing civilian clothes, as his lab coat was probably covered in blood from the patient. "The patient!" She thought. "How is he???" she demanded, pushing past the doctor. "He's stable but still unconscious. There is no internal bleeding, but he's too weak to move. You're going to have to go to Neo GH for some blood, as we're fresh out of hedgehog plasma at the moment. " Doctor Ghesan spoke calmly. "The mafia? You want me to go to the mafia and as them for some blood? The trip alone would take too long and they aren't famous for doing favors for outsiders, ya know!" Salina protested. "I see. And I'm assuming that you know that I'm already aware of this." The doctor responded, smiling. Salina grabbed her arm. "So you're suggesting I donate a few pints, huh?" She hated needles. "Yeah. I'll need three pints from you and I'll get whatever's left of the blood I have stored into the patient. But we've got to work fast." The two walked into Maurice's room. "He's an incredible specimen. It seems he took a shot at point blank range to the chest, and someone took out the bullet. It's a miracle he's even alive now." Salina produced Maurice's wallet. "Maurice. His name is Maurice, doctor."Doctor Ghesan examined the wallet and noticed the badge. He read it intently. "It says here 'Sheriff of Mobius'. Kind of arrogant of King Acorn, don't you think? Oh well, maybe when we're done with him, the king will give us a grant to upgrade our facilities."

After giving three pints of blood, Salina was hooked to a respirator to recover, as three pints was a large amount for her size. The transfusion went well, and Maurice soon regained consciousness.

"You gave us quite a scare!"Doctor Ghesan addressed his patient warmly. Maurice blinked a few times and inhaled. Antiseptics, ointments, sterile air and a few candles. The smells relaxed him slightly, though he was in unfamiliar territory. He sat up and waited a bit for his eyes to focus. A curious looking badger in a lab coat was at the foot of his bed. " My name is Dr. Vinc Ghesan. I assume you are known as 'Maurice'". Maurice closed his eyes, trying to recall the language the badger was speaking. Suddenly, it hit him. Swergic! But that would mean he was in the Aquatic Ruins someplace…How did he get here?! He couldn't remember anything from last night except it being cold. And then he saw Maria. Maria! Maurice gritted his teeth. "I see you're not fond of speaking, friend." Maurice's thoughts turned to the badger. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm a bit disoriented…" Maurice answered in the doctor's native tongue.He was quite pleased with himself, as he hadn't used Swergic in years. "Correct me if I'm wrong sir, but isn't this the Aquatic Ruin Zone?""You are correct. You must have gathered that by my language. You're obviously not from around here, sheriff, but we found you at our door last night…err early this morning. Whoever dropped you off obviously had excellent taste in physicians." The doctor replied, grinning. Maurice smiled until he looked down. His chest was bandaged heavily, and he had an IV going through his arm. "What happened to me?!" he gasped, unaware of his near death experience. Doctor Ghesan frowned. " I was hoping you could shed some light on that topic. You and I only go back until about 0230 hours. It appears that you've been shot, but someone messily extracted the bullet and brought you here in a hurry." Maurice closed his eyes, trying to remember last night. "_If you really love me, you'll leave…_" Then there was a sharp pain. Then nothing. Maurice's jaw dropped. Maria shot him! He turned his head and noticed a young female hedgehog on a respirator across the room. "Who…" "That would be Salina, my nurse and step daughter. She enjoys long walks on the beach, gymnastics and music. She's also single!" Maurice looked blankly at the doctor. "Oops. Well, she's on the respirator because you lost so much blood that we need to do an emergency transfusion. Problem was the only blood I had that fit your type was a half pint of panther plasma, and Salina had your blood type as well, so she donated three pints for you. However, she's so small and that's a lot of blood, so I put her on a respirator just in case. She'll wake up tonight sometime. Maurice stared at Salina. "You two don't even know me and you've gone through all this trouble for me. I don't know how to ever repay you, but here's a start at least." Maurice reached into his jeans and pulled out a pocket organizer type device. He turned to the doctor. "Do you know the destination number of this place?" "The coordinates are… 61, 75, 22, 01, 872. Why?" Maurice typed on the organizer for a bit. "There." He said before long. "There?" Maurice grinned. "I've deposited 500,000 credits into your establishment, do you need any more?" Dr. Ghesan was shocked. "No, that's more than enough, thank you!" He managed to stammer. Maurice reached into his pocket again and pulled out an orange flag with the royal insignia on it. Putting it in Doctor Ghesan's paw, he explained its purpose. "As long as you fly this flag outside your hospital, you are under the protection of the Royal Army. I've got some things I've got to do, but I'd like to thank your nurse when she wakes up." Maurice stood up and walked around the room. "Say, why don't I repaint your walls why we wait?" 

"Goodness, one day turned into one week so fast!" Maurice commented as he and Salina finished retiling the roof of the hospital. Salina smiled weakly, knowing her guest's intentions. She rarely received visitors or had patients as well mannered, yet interesting as Maurice and she enjoyed his company. Dr. Ghesan climbed a nearby tree to get a better look at their work. Maurice smiled proudly. "So what's next?" he asked, beaming with pride. The doctor climbed down from the tree and watched as Maurice jumped down from the hospital, followed by Salina, quite the athlete herself. "The roof looks excellent kids, thanks a lot! But Maurice, I'm afraid what's next is you to go home before the soldiers start to look for you! I am not about to have an international incident on my paws." Maurice frowned, not ready to face his own reality again. "Yeah, you're right I've got to report in the morning and it's getting dark. I'd better head off now while I can still see." Salina put her hand on Maurice shoulder. "You've been a great deal of help to us, Maurice. Please come back and see us anytime!" she offered. Maurice blushed and Dr. Ghesan chuckled to himself. "Oh, you betcha!" Maurice managed to blurt out. "Thanks again for everything!" he called as he took off for Mobotropolis. The doctor and the nurse watched as Maurice disappeared into the forest. "An incredible specimen." Dr. Ghesan remarked. "An incredible _hedgehog_." Salina thought. 

"Your pager was off, your tracking device disabled…your transporter was found abandoned and you're late for check in!" Kin Acorn greeted Maurice at the front gate. The sheriff's eyes wandered around the palace, noticing that the king was alone. This was undeniably abnormal. "But I'm glad you're back from wherever you went." The king continued. "We've got a lot of work to do." Maurice sheepishly raised his hand. The king raised an eyebrow. "Uh yeah, one question…where is everyone?!" The king looked at his sheriff in disbelief. "Apparently they didn't have any radios wherever you were for the past week. I've got a new job for you, Maurice." The young hedgehog cocked his head. "New job?" "Reconnaissance, Maurice." The king answered, entering the royal chambers. Maurice followed. "You mean the Royal Army Special Forces?" "Is that a problem, sheriff?" " No, I… who's going to take the job I have now?" King Max looked at Maurice. "There is no need for a sheriff in times of war." He said, soberly. "…War, sir?" "Yuo Sape has united the foreigners and the nomadic tribes of Mobius and has assembled at all our borders. Last night they infiltrated the Great Forest." The king's eyes began to burn with rage. "They burnt a third of it to the ground in a matter of hours. They haven't revealed their leader or any reason for their attack, but intelligence tells us that they are planning a raid on Mobotropolis very soon. I've heard that they are mass producing "O" bots to do their dirty work." "O bots, sir?" "Optical Robotic 'life' forms. They are programmed to kill with maximum force and extreme prejudice. The Royal Army is our defense, our only defense. Communications to the Floating Island have been severed due to the frequency given off by the generator plants Yuo Sape is using to produce the bots. So we're on our own." Maurice thought for a moment. "What about the Mobian Mafia. Where do they stand?" he asked, hopefully. "They would prove to be a powerful ally, but Maxis Derre has elected to remain neutral for the time being." "Maxis Derre???" "The Godfather. He says he can only protect his own kind." "What a selfish-" The king cut Max off. "No more selfish than my kingdom has become. I reviewed all of the taxation figures you left for me and you were right. My former counsel was way to strict and unfair with the commoners." Maurice scratched his head. "Former counsel?" "They have been reassigned to fight alongside the very ones they kept down all these years." The king answered, grinning. Maurice turned to leave for his home. "One last thing." King Acorn added. Maurice looked at the king. "I wouldn't go home if I were you. Charles claims that you took 500,000 credits from his savings account, and he's none to thrilled about that." Maurice smiled. "Thanks for the tip, sir!" He answered, running off. 


End file.
